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Facing Fate: The Zodiac Era
Facing Fate: The Zodiac Era (ファイナルファンタジー：ゾディアック時代 , Facing Fate: Age of Omen) is a non-profit fan-made game for Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age developed by Trif3ecta using the Era Engine that is set for release late 2019 for US and late 2020 for JP with Sebastien Romero providing the musical score. Production for the game began late in 2017. It is the final game in the Zodiac Trilogy series. The game is a difficulty modification of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age; it introduces a variety of new foes, series of extra scenes and DLC added throughout the game. Gameplay In addition to gameplay alterations, the game features an array of various features. Majority of dialog have been alternated to fit the new scenario of the game; while some original texts retained par their fit. Despite the large story line; the game does not entail a new game entirely. Players will proceed through the original game scenarios as usual with added scenes to do on the side and are introduced to a new ending indifferent from the original game. The main game of Facing Fate: The Zodiac Era adds minor extra scenes in the fewest of locations. Port at Balfonheim - Aerodrome and Jahara - Land of the Garif. Before the party goes to Sky Fortress Bahamut, the player will be able to organize your their for the final conflict. This includes the re-recruitment of Guest ally, Johnny Zecht. Sky Fortress Bahamut is the only area completely changed in game. It has been changed to the Dimensional Vortex, where the story comes to its own ending.The main party has access to various Cinematic and Ultimate Tier Skills par their arsenal. Characters, by default, are set to default abilities and equipment (as experienced in earlier classic Final Fantasy titles); the License boards only consist of various Augments suited for that specific character to keep them balanced throughout the game. The Impotent Job option is for a greater difficulty during the player's playthrough as it contains no major augments. Selective Jobs are still available which are the full, customized License Boards for each character par the default Zodiac Job System. Enemy Alterations Par the extra story to the original game, there are a handful of new enemies in the game. Among enemy alterations are: Soul of Rydia Hunt - Piscodaemon & Trial Mode (7 spawns // same stats ½ less HP than the Hunt) Indifferent to her appearance in Final Fantasy IX Type-0, she is far more aggressive this time and has 2 ½ million HP with a doubled defense and very high Magick Resist. Abilities: Scathe Scourge Renew Infinity Guardian's Ballad Nyx's Shadow Hunt - Behemoth King, Spawn with Zodiark Boss (⅓ less HP than Hunt) & Trial Mode (Increased Strength in Trial Mode ⅓ less HP than Hunt) Indifferent to his appearance in DLC01 of Final Fantasy IX Type-0, he is far more aggressive this appearance. He has 1.7 million HP, doubled defense, slightly increased magick resist and a very high combo hit rate. Abilities: (Same as original + Hero's Pride (3x more powerful than Nyx's Hero's Pride ability) Common Foes across the Nabreus Deadlands and Necrohol of Nabudis: Much like the Shades of Gaia, these common foes are the candid and embolden common foes to fight and grind. Among them are: Shades of Ivalice (Vaan) (Found in Deadlands & Necrohol of Nabudis) - 2x HP, 1.50 raised stats (equipped with Katanas/Poles/Hammers + high combo hit rate) Shades of Ivalice (Fran) (Found in Deadlands) - 1.50x HP, 2x raised stats (equipped with bows with high range) Shades of Ivalice (Ashe) (Found in Deadlands & Necrohol of Nabudis) - 1.25x HP, 1.25 raised stats (equipped with sword - Deathbringer; increased Speed) Crimson Shade - (Found in the Deadlands) 2.25x HP, 3x stats (Strength) raised (equipped with greatsword - Claymore; slower speed, vulnerable to Immobilize) Pyramid Crimson - (Found in the Necrohol of Nabudis) 5x original HP, 8x stats (Strength) raised (equipped with Great Spear; uses Piercing formula, very high range, 80% critical hit rate, vulnerable to Immobilize, very low defense, even lower Magick Resist). Hell Wyrm & Trial Mode // Yiazmat & Trial Mode Lavos Spawn XII does not have any alterations to any stats. Instead, it is a newly replaced 3D model of the Hell Wyrm, as well as the Lavos Spawn Epoch (Uses the same Hell Wyrm replaced model). Henne Mines & Trial Mode (Trial Mode unchanged stats and conditions) Zodiark has 4.2 million HP and 2x increased stats; Dual Darkja increased by 1.4% "Cry for Help" to Spawn Nyx's Shadow <10% HP. Omega Mark XII & Trial Mode -Left unchanged trial mode- Mammon Machine (much like the Lavos Spawns) have no major stat changes, except to HP and speed and it's one ability. Has a newly replaced 3D model to the Omega Mark XII. Ability: Piercing Firaga (Changed to "Releases stored Energy") - deals damage to all allies (max AoE capacity). Stats remained the same. Has a slower speed (2x less speed). There are a few minor new common foes. These foes have minor stats and HP increases. License Board The Main Game contains the following jobs below + Impotent Jobs, which, as it names implies, is a job selection with only the basic, default essentials needed to obtain par the story line. (e.g. 3 quickenings, an Esper/Eidolon tile and all Gambit slot tiles). Monk is now Bushido, suited for Kevin. Bushi is now Kingsglaive Elite, suited for Nyx. Uhlan is now Dragoon, suited for Freya. Knight is now Military Elite, suited for Steiner. Machinist is now Kingsglaive, suited for Crowe. Black Mage is now Summoner, suited for Rydia. These are determined par the augment tiles balanced for that specific character. Kevin: License Board: Bushido Main focus are Axes & hammers and heavy armor. Maintaining Foebreaker abilities (Expose, Wither etc.) and no main magick use with the exception of elemental Lightning magick. Axes & hammers use Vitality formula; Kevin's vitality is slightly higher than the others. The Bushido board brings a more balanced approach. In the both the main game and selective jobs, Kevin has access, by default, the Dreamseeker. Nyx: License Board: Kingsglaive Elite Main focus are Katanas and Ninja Swords with heavy and mystic armor. Can use all types of magic but specialize in Lucian royal family strengths (Ultimate Elemental), and signature technicks. The ability to wield dual daggers and utilizing the speed formula, so his speed is slightly higher than the others. Freya: License Board: Dragoon Main focus are spears and a bit more variety of black magicks. Uhlan identical to Dragoon with more options for black magicks, and the Jump skill. Spears uses strength formula, slightly raised her strength for the occasion. Heavy armor increases strength a bit more often. Steiner: License Board: Military Elite Main focus are on the variety of weapons for any occasion. Staves and rods to potentially raise the strength of the Knight's Cure spells as such. All minor uses of all other weapons is for the subtraction of the second board option. Only job that can wield the Great Knife. Since can use all weapon types, all stats have been slightly raised, and some weapons increase slightly appropriate stats for the weapon formula. Crowe: License Board: Kingsglaive Main focus are small swords for the balanced foes. Uses a few axes and hammers, and the Olympus Punisher. Strength slightly raised. Can use a few black magicks and a few time magicks (so time magick isn't completely cut out from the 6, no second board jobs). Rydia: License Board: Summoner Main focus are staves and bows, black magick and all summons. (Bows, only because Rydia is able to use all bows in FFIV). Seitengrat is no longer the game's most difficult weapon to obtain. Rods and very few katanas. Can use all magick types, but only masters all black magicks (Rydia has always been proficient in black magic). Despite the Dragoon job using a bit more black magic, Summoner is the only other job besides Kingsglaive Elite that can use Meteor. Story After defeating the Hades guarding the Epoch Elevator in Holocene 1800, Nyx and Rydia, uncontrollable by their will, are sent not to their appropriate time zones, but instead the Golden Age circa 500 BC. Age of Omen From the Plains of the Ozmone Natives from Jahara speak of the changes of weather and rare foes that spawn based upon it; one of these foes happen to be new. In the Ozmone Plain, a new foe roams the outskirts of the land; however it is not easy to spot it out on a good hour. -Entering the plains and it's cloudy; a spirit of Carrière will spawn throughout the field, docile as subservient. -Entering the plains and it's raining, an essence of Carrière may spawn, though it is not guaranteed. Cloudy weather is the essence bearing forth wall break of the tinge of Ashes, and manifestation of pessimism. Rainy weather is the essence bearing fourth wall break of the manifestation of Tears; the muted sighed, the quieted cries of one whose emotions where abused, and powers, exploited. Unheralded the stress sentiment of responsibility for the cause of the dire event, blind to his bloodline. "Time's fabric is damaged due to the altering of the past; and in result, more apparitions of the past seek life in a new era." Time's detriment Before the destruction of the Sun Cryst, knowing the result would kill Johnny Zecht﻿ (a biker, engineer, sky pirate and descendant of Foris Zecht) in the explosion, black portal materialized, in a surge of unheralded events, absorbs Johnny inside, while afterwards destroying the Sun Cryst, giving the resulting explosion, instead of killing Johnny, the portal, likely a Gate, sent him through time and it is unclear what time era he has fallen to. He likely has also, fallen to the Darkness Beyond Time, where he witnesses the shackled Woman in Flight. Condescending Carrière's prayers, Johnny awaits for her to return him back to the party, given him embolden spirit; his fight is not over yet. A swarm of apparitions referred to by the natives as the Shades of Ivalice. These shades roam the outskirts of the Nabreus Deadlands and Necrohol of Nabudis. The Walk of Revelation A Dimensional Vortex spawns anterior Sky Fortress Bahamut. It completely overshadows the fortress; there would be no way around it. Inside, the party follows the path of the Entity's orchestration. To see their affairs cessation Before the party heads off to the emerged Dimensional Vortex anterior Sky Fortress Bahamut, they rendezvous at the Aerodrome at Port Balfonheim. There they are reunited with Johnny as he explains vaguely what has happened to him after the destruction of the Sun Cryst. It was true he was sent to the Darkness Beyond Time where he witnessed the the Dream Devourer with the shackled Woman in Flight binded in its grasp. Unable to fully explain the experience, he notes he felt a strong aura of longing and loneliness, before having a part of his memory truncate and finds himself afoot the Cerobi Steppe. Weary the words Johnny speaks, Nyx urges the party to the vortex with haste. Inside the Vortex, the party is sent to Antiquity, Frozen Cliffs in a different age than Ivalice. Nyx, believing it is a great rift in time's fabric as there's no is no stability. Feeling this is the road they must travel to see their affairs to an end, they press forward through the age with little question. At the end of this age, within the the Twilight Grotto, Crowe gets a heavy feeling of longing and hears a voice calling to her to come forward, alone. Knowing the presence and personality of the Shades, Nyxand Rydia, proceed after Crowe, fearing a trap ahead. Later, the party is lead to the Once-Marle's Bedchamber, where they witness the first Ghost Child anterior them. baffled, they wonder why this apparition has appeared and what purpose does it want with Crowe. Without words, the Alabaster Shade immediately attacks the party; aware the nature of Shades are aggressive and candid. After defeating the Alabaster Shade, the apparition slowly fades away into the air and the party is absorbed in a time vortex leading them to the Red Lava Mountain. Within the Red Lava Mountain, the party advances through the cavernous pass and are lead to another Grotto resembles the first grotto from before. Here, they encounter the Once-King Dalton, who, unlike the Shades have presented themselves before, speaks to the party with a similar articulation as the Ghost Children encountered. Rydia, confused on this new foe, Nyx explains that this Dalton that stands before them is nothing more than a mere apparition, an imprint of time's fabric and explains this little show is beginning to reveal itself. Ignoring Nyx as much as possible and continuing his articulation, Dalton challenges the party. After defeating the Once-King Dalton exclaims to Kevin, he cannot fool to him, hiding his true identity with a simply change of garments. He can see the soul within Kevin. Dalton continues to articulate, blaming Kevin for the loss of his labor, wealth and royal underlings. Before fading away, he makes it clear the matter still isn't over, calling Kevin Crono. Confused, Rydia questions the name Dalton speaks of, only for Nyx to figure the puzzle is just beginning to piece itself together. Rydia agrees with minimal hesitation. Proceeding further in the Grotto, Kevin gets a heavy feeling of longing and hears voice calling to him, as Crowe did before. The party advances forward only to be greeted by the Steel Shade. As the Shades are, he attacks with no words spoken, as Rydia warns it to not think they will go easy on it just because it's Kevin. Nyx, not phased by the ambush, only warns of it or any foe raising its weapon against himself sings away their life. After defeating the Steel Shade, the apparition slowly fades away into the air and party is absorbed in a time vortex leading them to the Lab of the Shade. Within the Lab of the Shade, the party ventures through the passages and are once again, lead to another Grotto resembling the two previous ones. Here, Rydia gets a heavy feeling of longings and hears a voice calling to hear, and a force tugging her forward. The party reluctantly advances on and are met with the Crimson Shade Eggsterminator within a ersatz Mist Cave encircled Lucca's Bedchamber. Rydia notices the exterior of the Cave is is surprised, facing then with the Crimson Shade, asking what does it desires. Without answer, the Shade immediately attacks with aggression, as shades are known to do. After defeating the Crimson Shade Eggsterminator, the apparition slowly fades away into the air and party is absorbed in a time vortex, leading them to what appeared to be the Great Crystal in Ivalice, some time era ahead. Here the party encounters a deactivated Mammon Machine. Why the Machine is present there is beyond there comprehension. Nyx without hesitation proceed to get the device activate, knowing the name of it without struggle. Steiner wonders how Nyx knows much of history's relics and Nyx replies he doesn't really know. Its just apart of his memory. Aware this has happened before in Gaia, Nyx rules it the work of the Shades. As they try to take form of the his body, their memories whom are not lost to them, but imprinted in their era begins to morph into the mind of the host whom they desire to take. Returning his attention back to the Mammon Machine, revived Reks suggests Nyx uses Dreamstone on the device, pointing out that the stone is made from the same red rock as Schala's Amulet. Hearing this, Steiner, goes into a frenzy, conversing incoherently about Reks and his supposed role in causing the dire events that has caused damage to time and dragged Steiner into it all. Before Steiner could attack Reks, he has halted by the Nyx and the party to come to his senses. Rydia, trying to understand Steiner's frustration, difficult as it would be, then has vague memories of her time in Gaia, remembering the black mage Vivi as being nothing more than a whistle blower for the Maenads, whom are unlike the ones she's encountered in her true past. The Maenads encountered in Gaia where black mages who could only summon using a unheralded program; which is a alias for their Deity granting only Summon capabilities to Maenads of high advancement. Focusing their attention back on the Mammon Machine, Kevin uses the Dreamstone on the Mammon Machine. As the Machine activates, Kevin reacts to the device in a bizarre way, unable to fight against it, and is temporarily left out of the party as they take down the device. After defeating the Machine, a gate materializes and party ventures inside and are lead to the End of Time. At the End of Time, they encounter a stray Montblanc. Baffled by his appearance at this realm, Montblanc tells the party since his experience in Gaia, he's come to study more about the phenomenon that has been occurring in time lately. He asks the party if they have observed odd distortions in time's fabric in the recent days. Knowing of the dimensional vortices already, Nyx states one likely has arisen in every age. Agreeing, Montblanc ponders about the gate at the End of Time, appearing different, but still connected to 1999 A.D. noting there's more to it. A power flows within it from a distant plane beyond the darkness borders of Time's Eclipse. He notes the power is similar to Lavos, Nyx and Rydia remembered spawned in Gaia. Montblanc senses the same longing and loneliness from within the gate as Johnny had before. He mentions this is "beyond any hunt he has ever assigned to a member of the Clan" and if the party has the means to face it to proceed on, not recommend it. The party proceeds to enter Time's Eclipse and are lead on the path to the Darkness from the distant plane. Within the Time's Eclipse, Nyx's Shadow, Rydia and their allies head off in the chronological Gates that eventually lead to the Dream Devourer. Facing against the Dream Devourer, neither Nyx or his allies can defeat it again. Blinded by idealism, after "defeating" again, the Dream Devourer, Schala sees not Nyx, but Magus in his place, similarity at the same time as before, where she regains control of herself for a limited time and teleports the remaining victims away. She then tells Nyx, who, in her eyes, is still Magus, he cannot hope to save her as long as people lean on the crutch of power. Before Schala sends Nyx away, he points out that he's "finally remembered who she is now" and is teleported before he could further explain. End of the Denouement The ending scenes of the game depict a series of the main cast returning to, what is to be their appropriate time zones. Kevin appears at Year 1000 A.D., waking up to voice calling the name "Crono". Freya appears at an unknown time era, anterior a Chamber of the Eidolon, Nox Dragon XR-20. Steiner appears at Year 1980 in a Deserted Town. Baffled but also quite relieved the incomprehensible events he's experienced is over, only to find himself faced with another dire quandary. He states having his own path he must now and he's received a letter for an unnamed source. Steiner's curiosity yearns for understanding, as he states wanting to "move on" later thinking twice, stating "not yet". He will find him, seeking to end his internal struggles and repression. Rydia appears at year 417 A.D., stating she appears to have "returned" after hearing the voice of Cuore shout her name. But noting how the memories of all she's experience will now remain with her, never forgetting about her time adventuring with Nyx. She states this outcome remains the safest for everyone. Crowe isn't depicted in any scene at the ending; it likely refers to her death from Kingsglaive, as she returned to it. Johnny isn't depicted in any scene at the ending. It is unclear of his whereabouts and is only hinted in the DLC content. Nyx appears at an unknown time. As he speaks, he appears he too as returned to his time, the moment before his death. Stating as time heals all wounds, but he hasn't done much healing. He states that is just fine, time wasn't meant to be changed in such a way. To cater to one's personal whim, to move forward from the past in live in the present. Ending his monologue with "Though, I too, will always remember him.